Rotary piston machine



June 3, 1969 Filed June 5, 1967 I. J. CYPHELLY ROTARY PISTON MACHINE Sheet 0:

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ROTARY PISTON MACHINE Filed June 5, 1967 Sheet 3 of 51 INVENTO R 'IVHN JHHusLnV cymuy RTTIRMeYs June 3, 1969 J. CYPHELLY 3,447,471

ROTARY PISTON MACHINE Filed June 5. 1967 Sheet 4 or 5 mve'nrok IYRN J'nkosmvameuy' RTTIRIIEYS June 3, 1969 m VENTOR IVHN JIIRosLnv CYPIIELLI ATTORNEY!) l. J. CYPHELLY 3,447,471 ROTARY PISTON MACHINE United States Patent 3,447,471 ROTARY PISTON MACHINE Ivan Jaroslav Cyphelly, Im Breiteli 1, 8117 Fallanden, Switzerland Filed June 5, 1967, Ser. No. 643,678 Claims priority, application Sv6vi6tzerland, June 30, 1966,

9,531/ Int. Cl. F04c 1/00; F01c 1/00; F02b 53/00 US. Cl. 103-125 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A rotary piston machine provided with a rotatable piston member and a rotatable cutoff member having their axes of rotation spaced in parallel relationship. The piston member contains a pair of piston elements and the cutoff member comprises a number of equiangularly spaced vanes with gaps between adjacent vanes. Both the piston member and the cutoff member are disposed within a casing having a closed working fluid flow passageway. The piston elements on the piston member rotate continuously within the passageway in the casing and the vanes intersects the flow passageways in two spaced locations combining with the piston elements to divide the flow passageway into expanding and contracting chambers. By means of various timing devices the rotation of the piston member and the vanes is coordinated so that elements on the piston member pass through the gaps between adjacent vanes at the locations of the intersection of the vanes with the flow passageway.

Summary of the invention The present invention is directed to a rotary piston machine and, more particularly, to a machine having a fixed working space or working fluid flow passageway comprising a pair of rotary members having their axes of rotation in spaced relationship whereby piston elements on one of the members rotates through the fixed working space and passes through or between two open areas or gaps on the other member which intersects the working space in two locations.

Rotary piston machines have been known in the art and recently F. Wankel in Einteilung der Rotationskolbenmaschinen, Deutsche Verlagsanstalt Stuttgart, 1963, describes the case where the axis of one of a pair of rotating parts in a rotary volumetric machine lies within the perimeter of the other part. However, in his survey of rotary machines, Wankel has not mentioned the possibility of two rotating parts being meshed or intersecting simultaneously at two separated points as is performed in the present invention. Further, in the book Displacement Pumps and Motors, by Hadekel, published by Pitman, London, 1951, the author indicates that nonmeshing transverse flow birotor displacement machines have not been realized without gears, however, in the present invention such a displacement machine has been achieved.

A considerable number of rotary displacement machines were invented prior to the present century for the purpose of converting steam energy into rotational movement and similarly for converting the energy contained in pressurized fluids and gases. However, with the advent of turbines the development of rotary displacement machines was slowed down because of the imperfect sealing techniques which were available at that time. At the end of World War II, hydrostatic power-transmission techniques gave a new impetus to the development of rotary displacement machines. However, though improved sealing techniques and new production methods were developed, a number of disadvantages still remained in the use of such equiment as follows:

3,447,471 Patented June 3, 1969 (1) The passage of the working fluid through the rotary displacement machine is disturbed due to the sharp entrance and exit angles as well as to the division of the fluid into a number of compartments as it enters the machine.

(2) Occasionally the working fluid bypasses between the expanding and contracting sides of the machine causing unbalance in its rotation.

(3) Large axial and radial loads which cannot be balanced are imposed on the shaft resulting in interferences with the rotation of the machine.

(4) Difliculties exist in manufacturing parts for the equipment, particularly where the parts require extreme precision of nonsymmetrical sections.

(5) An unfavorable ratio between the working space and the structure of the rotary displacement machine affects its efficiency.

Because of these and other shortcomings in rotary hydrostatic machines, the reliance to date has been primarily on the linear piston. However, because of the problems of overheating, the speed of revolution of such pistons has been limited to a maximum of about 2000 revolutions per minute.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a displacement machine which achieves a higher rate of rotation than previously encountered and at the same time overcomes the disadvantages set forth aboveQThis is achieved by providing a pair of rotating members which combine with the casing to form the boundaries of four working spaces, two expanding and two contracting, which present the possibility of (a) A radially symmetrical load which is free from any problems of unbalance, and

(b) The disposition of the inlet and outlets to the working spaces or flow passageways which afiford a smooth path of flow for the working fluid through the machine thereby avoiding any of the disadvantages which previously occurred because of the uneven flow of the Working fluid.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention.

Description of the drawings In the drawings:

FIG. la is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a piston member employed in a rotary displacement machine;

FIG. lb is a perspective view of a cutoff member used combination with the piston member of FIG. la; FIG. lbl is a cross sectional view of the cutofl member shown in FIG. 1]) taken along dotted line A;

FIG. 1c is a perspective view showing the arrangement of the piston member of FIG. la and the cutoif member of FIG. lb in operating position;

FIG. 101 is a cross sectional vie-w of the arrangement illustrated in FIG. 1c showing the manner in which the piston member intersects the cutoff member;

FIG. 1a is a perspective view similar to FIG. 10 showing a timing gear engaged with the piston member and the cutoff member;

FIG. 2a is a perspective view showing the general arrangement of FIG. 1c and FIG. 1a enclosed within a casing;

FIG. 2b is a transverse view, partly in section, showing a flow path of the working fluid through an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2b1 shows four working positions of the piston member and cutoff member in the embodiment shown in FIG. 212;

FIG. 2c is a view similar to FIG. 2b showing a double unit in a rotary displacement machine of the present invention;

FIG. 3a is a top view of an alternate arrangement showing the position of inlet and outlet means to the flow passageway in the machine;

FIG. 3421 is a view taken along line AA' in FIG. 3a;

FIG. 3b is a perspective view of a part of the piston member containing a plurality of fluid cells;

FIGS. 3b1 and 3b2 show alternate arrangements of the fluid cells in the piston member of FIG. 3b;

FIG. 4a is a view taken along line B-B' of FIG. 4al, showing one embodiment of means for timing the piston member and the cutoff member;

FIG. 4al is a partial sectional view of FIG. 4a taken alnog the line A-A';

FIG. 4b is a sectional view taken along line B-B' of FIG. 4b1 of a timing arrangement for an embodiment of the present invention utilizing a double piston member;

FIG. 4b1 is a cross sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 4b;

FIG. 40 is a sectional view of another arrangement of a timing mechanism for the present invention;

FIG. 401 is a sectional view taken along line A-A' in FIG. 4c;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the present invention for use in a pump;

FIG. 5a is a reduced perspective view of the exterior of the pump body shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 5b is a perspective view of the exterior of another embodiment of the pump body shown in FIG. 5 wherein a double piston member is employed;

FIG. 50 is an enlarged top view of the roller gear wheel and roller groove wheel shown in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 5d is a cross sectional view of the casing of the pump body shown in FIG. 5.

Detailed description of the invention The basic elements of the present invention are a piston member shown in FIG. 1a and a cutoif member 12 shown in FIG. 1b. Both the piston member and the cutoff member have an axis of rotation 14, 16, respectively, which extend in parallel relationship but are spaced from one another as can best be seen in FIGS. 10 and 2b. The piston member 10 comprises a spindle 18 extending along its axis of rotation, a plate 20 extending transversely to the axis of rotation and having a circular peripheral edge 21. Oppositely disposed at the edge 21 are a pair of piston elements or teeth 22 extending in the axial direction of the piston member. Similarly, the cutoff member 12 comprises a spindle 24 extending along its axis of rotation, a plate 26 transversely arranged to the axis and three equiangularly disposed vanes 28 located at the plates circular peripheral edge 27 and extending in the axial direction of the cutoff member. The vanes 28 are spaced apart a suflicient distance to form gaps 30 through which a single piston element 22 can pass between adjacent vanes. In FIGS. 10 and 101 the operative arrangement of the piston member 10 and cutofl member 12 is shown so that in rotation the piston elements 22 pass through or mesh with gaps 30 on either side of a vane 28. In FIG. 1d a timing gear 32 is shown engaging elements 32A, 32B on the piston member and cutoff member respectively for coordinating the angular velocity of the two members. In determining the ratio of the angular velocity of the piston member and the cutofi member, the formula A/2=the angular velocity of the piston member/ the angular velocity of the cutoff member, where A is the number of gaps or vanes on the cutoff member.

Due to the timing gear 32, the two members 10, 12 rotate in uniform motion so that the piston elements 22 pass through adjacent gaps 30 in the cutofi member. In

.4 FIGS. 1a through 141, the basic working parts of the rotary displacement machine have been illustrated. However, to place them in an operable arrangement, it is necessary to enclose the parts shown in FIG. 1d within a casing 34 having a pair of working fluid inlet ducts 36 and a pair of working fluid outlet ducts '38. Partition members 40, see FIG. 2b, combine with the piston rotor and casing to form passageways 42 for the flow of the working fluid through the casing 34.

As can be seen best in FIG. 2b, the piston elements 22 rotate in closely fitting relationship with the partition members 40 and in combination with the vanes divide the passageway 42 into a pair of expanding chambers X and contracting chamber Y, see position 2 in FIG. 2bl. In the four working positions of the rotary displacement machine shown in FIG. 2bl, the piston elements 22 rotate counterclockwise through the flow passageways 42. In the positions identified as 1 and 2, the piston elements 22 are shown as they pass through the passageways at spaced distances from the vanes of the cutoff member which intersect the flow passageways at two spaced locations A and B. As the piston elements 22 rotate under the influence of the working fluid flowing through the machine, the chambers X increase in capacity and the chambers Y decrease in capacity. In position 3, the piston elements 22 are shown at the locations A and B about to pass through the gaps 30 formed between adjacent vanes 28 on the cutofl member. It will be noted, as the piston elements 22 pass from position 3 to position 4, the vanes do not close olf the flow passageway and the inlet and outlet openings are indirect communication, and forced displacement of the piston elements 22 does not take place. This position of the piston elements 22 are locations A and B is called the dead angle in its rotation and to achieve uninterrupted displacement of the pistons it is necessary to connect two units in series so that the respective dead angles satisfy the equation 90, as is illustrated in FIG. 20. In FIG. 20 the piston elements 22 in the left-hand arrangement are disposed at center points between the inlet and outlet openings while on the right-hand side the piston teeth are located in their dead angle positions passing through the gaps in the cutolf member.

The arrangement of the machine is primarily determined by the manner in which the piston member 10 and the cutoff member 12 are timed. The timing determines the arrangement of the inlet and outlet ducts which influences the hydrodynamic resistance to the flow of the working fluid. To eliminate or at least reduce hydrodynamic resistance, two ducts 39A are arranged tangentially to the inside path of the passageways 42 and the other two ducts 39B are disposed tangentially to the outside of the passageway, see FIG. 3a. Accordingly, the largest angle met by the flow of the working fluid is the angle a formed by the piston and the cutoff member paths as they cross, see FIG. 3a. This angle varies from a lO" for A=2 (A representing the number of gaps in the cutoff member) to where A=oo (in which case the radius of the cutofi member is at infinity). In a practical arrangement of the present invention it is not possible to go beyond 11:4 and in that instance the angle 04 ranges between 40 to 45, based on the arrangement of the machine itself. The preferred arrangement of the invention utilizes a three-vane or threegap cutoff member, in which instance the angle a ranges between 30 and 35. The ability to reduce the angle a to 30 to 35 (or to 10-15 in the case of A=2) is probably the principal advantage of the present invention because to date no practical rotary displacement machine has been capable of reducing the angle a to less than 90 with the exception of the Loveridge-Lambe pump (British Patent 418,439, 1933), which was never employed to any extent because of its radial imbalance.

For each of the various vane arrangements on the cutoff member a particular timing means can be sfound. In the arrangement shown in FIG. 4a where a pair of vanes 28 and gaps 30 are located on the cutofi member 12, the timing device disposed between the cutoff member and the piston member is provided by connecting rods 46. The rods are attached to the piston member and extend to and are secured to the periphery of the cutoff member by pin bearings 48, see FIG. 4111. However, this particular arrangement entails an unfavorable ratio of the working space to the structure of the machine, though it does provide an optimum arrangement from the point of view that the angle on is between 10 and and the timing is such that it would provide a preferred application of use in high speed machines (for example, in variable gear box pumps which are flanged directly to an internal combustion motor).

Another timing device is shown in FIG. 4b for machines in which the number of gaps on the cutoff member is greater than two. In this device the cutoff member 12A completely encloses the piston member 10A so that the two are interconnected in meshing contact between an inside gear arrangement on the cutoff member and an outside gear arrangement on the piston member.

Another way of achieving the same result is to have the spindle or axis of the piston member fitted with a gear wheel and pass through the cutoff member. The gear wheel engages gear teeth on the cutoff member for driving the piston and cutoff member in timed engagement.

The construction shown in FIG. 4b is preferred where the number of vanes 28A in the cutoff member equals three and where an axially mounted double piston member is used as distinguished from the double unit shown in FIG. 2c. In FIG. 4b the piston members 10A are axially aligned, one above the other for achieving continuous positive dis placement of the piston member. The arrangement in which the piston member extends through the rotor member for engagement with the timing mechanism is used preferably only where four or more gaps appear in the cutoff member because this particular arrangement requires a closed base for the piston and cutoff members. In such an arrangement the inner ducts supplying the working fluid to the passageway through the machine are disposed on the side of the casing opposite the timing member and in an arrangement containing three gaps in the cutoff member such a disposition would leave very little space for introducing the working fluid.

Still another arrangement for timing the rotation of the piston and cutoff members is shown in FIG. 40. This arrangement has some similarity to the one shown in FIG. 4a where connecting rods are attached to the piston member and the cutoff member. In this arrangement, pin bearings 54 are mounted at points 120 apart on the cutoff member 12B and glide in a groove 56 of hypocycloid shape cut out of the plate B of the piston member 10B. This particular arrangement affords a constant rotation between the piston members and the cutoff member.

In the rotation of the piston member axial loads are exerted on the plate 20 and these are compensated by a number of compartments 58 which are cut out or formed in the plate of the piston member. As shown in FIGS. 2b1 and 3b2, these compartments 58A, 58B are maintained at working pressure by being connected with the working space in the machine either by plain openings 60 (see FIG. 3121) or, if higher pressures are desired, by connecting the cells to the working space through high pressure-multiplying pistons 62 as set forth in FIG. 3b2.

A practical example of the incorporation of the rotary displacement machine of the present invention with a water pump is shown in FIG. 5. In this figure, the pump is of the shaft or bore hole type.

The pump 64 comprises a casing 66 closed at its upper portion by a lid plate 68 and its lower portion by a seal retainer 70. Inwardly of the seal retainer 70 is piston member 72 having a pair of oppositely disposed piston elements 74 on its plate 76 which contains a plurality of compensating cells 78. Arranged to mesh with the elements 74 on the piston member is the cutoff member 80 having a quartet of vanes 82 spaced equiangularly about the periphery of its plate 84 to provide four gaps 86 through which the piston elements 74 pass. Extending through the seal retainer 70, piston member 72 and the cutoff member is a main axle 88 which passes centrally through the piston member and eccentrically through the cutoff member. Illustrated in an offset position from the axle and the cutoff rotor is a cutoff member bearing 90, an axle bearing 92 and a top axle bearing casing 94.

At one end of the axle 88, there is a three arm rollergear wheel 96 which engages a roller groove wheel 98 having grooves 100 for receiving the separate arms of the roller-gear wheel. The roller-gear wheel 96 and roller groove wheel 98 assure the proper rotational coordination between the piston member 72 and cutoff member 80. In the exploded section shown in FIG. 5, the lid plate 68 secures the members of the combined rotational displacement machine and the pump within the casing.

FIG. 5a shows the outer casing body where a single piston member is employed while FIG. 5b shows an arrangement of double axially aligned piston members somewhat similar to that disclosed in FIG. 4b.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the inventive principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is calimed is:

1. A rotary piston machine comprising walls forming a casing, said walls forming an annular passageway within said casing, a rotor member being positioned on said casing for rotation about an axis of rotation, a pair of pistons being mounted on said rotor on diametrically opposite sides of the axis of rotation thereof, said pistons being arranged to rotate about the axis of rotation of said rotor within said passageway in said casing, at least two cutoff vanes being disposed in said casing and arranged symmetrically about an axis of rotation located eccentrically to and in parallel relationship with the axis of rotation of said rotor, said vanes being circumferentially spaced apart at the adjacent ends thereof for forming gaps therebetween of a sufiicient circumferential dimension for the passage therebetween of said pistons, the axis of rotation of said rotor being located inwardly of the circumferential path of travel of said cutoff vanes as they rotate about their axis of rotation, and timing means being operatively engaged between said cutoff vanes and pistons whereby as said cutoff vanes and pistons rotate each of said pistons intersects a different one of said gaps between said cutoff vanes at the same time.

2. A rotary piston machine, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said vanes comprise circumferentially extending arcuately shaped members equiangularly spaced about their axis of rotation and having the gaps therebetween of the same circumferential dimension.

3. A rotary piston machine, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said timing means comprises a plurality of connecting members fitted to said rotor for rotation therewith and each of said connecting members arranged to rotate about an axis of rotation spaced from and in parallel relationship with the axis of rotation of said rotor, means for interconnecting each of said vanes to two of said connecting members whereby as said rotor rotates the rotational motion of said connecting members imparts to said vanes a movement relative to said pistons so that as said pistons rotate they intersect the gaps between said vanes during each complete cycle of rotation.

4. A rotary piston machine, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said timing means comprises a gear device being in meshed engagement with said rotor and said vanes for timing the intersection of said pistons on said rotor with the gaps between said vanes.

5. A rotary piston machine, as set forth in claim 1, wherein a pair of inlet ducts and a pair of outlet ducts are connected to said casing at circumferentially spaced locations for delivering working fluid to and removing it from 7 the flow passageways through said casing during the rotation of said pistons therethrough.

6. A rotary piston machine, as set forth in claim 5, wherein said inlet and outlet ducts are tangentially arranged in relationship to the flow passageway in said casing for admitting working fluid to and removing it from said flow passageways without disturbing the circumferential flow of the working fluid through the flow passageways.

7. A rotary piston machine, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said walls form an annular groove arranged to receive said cutoff vanes, said groove having a center axis disposed eccentrically to and in parallel relationship with the center axis of said passageway for said pistons, and

said grooves intersecting said passageways at two separate spaced locations.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,277,661 3/1942 Booth 103125 3,304,781 2/1967 Stevenson 103125 X FOREIGN PATENTS 812,870 2/1937 France.

JAMES W. WESTHAVER, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

